My Library FAQ

You can create a personalised library on Google Books, which allows you to organise, review, rate and search a customised selection of books. These collections are live online and are accessible anywhere you can log in to your Google account. If your Google Books account is linked to a Google Profile, bookshelves that are set to 'public' (with this icon showing a globe: ) are publicly visible to friends who know the URL of your collection, so once you've built a collection, you can share it with them by sending them a link to your library in Google Books. Learn more about library bookshelves.

Getting started...

Step 1: Sign in to your Google account
You must sign in to Google Books, using your Google Account, in order to add titles to your library or write reviews. If you don't have an account, create one at http://www.google.co.uk/accounts.

Step 2: Add books to your library

Add a single book: You can add any book in the Google Books index to your library. Just click the Add to bookshelves link, which you'll find on search results pages, the right-hand column of book pages and the 'Overview' page of all titles on Google Books.

The bookshelves that are marked 'public' (with the icon showing two people) will be published online. You can easily change a bookshelf from public to private by clicking the name of the bookshelf in the left-hand column, then clicking Options, then Edit Properties. When the Edit Properties screen comes up, click the Make private link next to Visibility.

Add a list of books: You can also easily import a list of books to your library. When viewing any bookshelves within 'My library' on Google Books, click Options, then select Add by ISBN or ISSN. Enter one ISBN or ISSN per line and click the Add books button when you have finished.

Step 3: Customise your library by including reviews and ratings
Click the Write a review for this book link to write your own review for a book, which will appear on the corresponding 'About this book' page. Add a numerical rating by selecting one of the star icons at the top of the page. Finally, organise your library by adding books to virtual bookshelves. You can create as many custom bookshelves as you like and have the option to set each as either private or publicly viewable. As you create these bookshelves, you'll find them displayed on the left-hand side of your library.

For My Library users, the notes and annotations that you have created for books can be viewed beside each title within your 'Favourites' bookshelf.

Step 4: Share your library with others:
The bookshelves that are marked 'public' will be published online, so you can share them with others by passing along a direct link. Simply copy your library's URL (it will begin with http://books.google.co.uk/...) and send the link to friends or post it on your blog. Your reviews, ratings and public bookshelves are automatically public, which means that they are easy to share and discover. Click here to find out more about how your ratings, reviews and collections are public and how they can be deleted. You can also export the list of books in your library.

My Library and Privacy

The reviews, book selections and other information that you store using My Library will be stored online with your Google Account. You can access this information and change it or delete it at any time by visiting your My Library page.

We don't share information about your book selections or anything else in your Account, except in limited circumstances, discussed in Google's Privacy Policy.